We All Sleep Alone (Finley Creek #11) - Calle J. Brookes Page 0,71
thirty—and he was no older than her fiancé. Still, Jake had what was known as an old soul. He would have been right at home in 1953, with some of his attitudes. It was no wonder he drove his niece insane sometimes. “I know.”
She guided him into the exam room while Lacy took over caring for Elliot Marshall. Elliot and Lacy were good friends—and cousins by marriage. “Has anyone called Gabby yet?”
Jake shook his head as Jillian went to work on Jake’s ruined shirt. “It just happened when we were on our way to W4HAV to see where Izzie was almost abducted.”
She shivered instinctively.
She’d had nightmares again. Nightmares where she lost her best friend.
“Someone’s serious, aren’t they?” He’d need checked to make certain there weren’t fragments in the wound. “Let’s get to this.”
She took a few moments to take an actual break while Jake was getting the necessary pretty pictures taken. Nikkie Jean needed it. She’d been the first one to offer to take Allen’s shift in the ER. She knew he’d worry about the hospital.
He took his duties as head of trauma very seriously.
Worry was a sharp pain in her heart, and Nikkie Jean knew it probably would be until Izzie and Allen were back in Finley Creek—safe where they both belonged.
At least Izzie wasn’t facing this alone.
After Caine and Rafe, Allen was the one man on the planet Nikkie Jean trusted. He wouldn’t let anything happen to Izzie. Not if he could prevent it.
She half thought a part of Izzie knew that, too.
She had just devoured her second pudding cup—Baby Alien Alvaro loved chocolate pudding, and Rafe had agreed to see to it that the cafeteria stocked it indefinitely—when her cell rang.
With a number she didn’t recognize.
Always cautious, she answered slowly. “Hello?”
When she heard the voice on the other end of the line, relief slammed into her. Talk about timing. This was exactly who she needed to talk to right now. “Are you both ok?”
63
Fear had Izzie nearly sick to her stomach as she disconnected the short call she’d made. Nikkie Jean had made it clear Izzie wasn’t going back to Finley Creek anytime soon.
Not after what had happened in Finley Creek after Allen had absconded with her.
Jake could have been killed.
Had Elliot Marshall not been with him, he would have been.
Gabby, Elliot’s wife, was beside herself, freaking out. Nikkie Jean said the chief had had her and her sister’s family sent off with Mel Barratt the night before. Mel, who had a dozen bodyguards. Armed ones.
Jake could have died. Ambushed. Him and the chief of the TSP.
Nikkie Jean had not given Izzie too many details, but Jake was going to be sore for a while. Nikkie Jean had made that very clear.
He had gotten very, very lucky.
How serious a situation she was in had started to sink in. How out of control of her own life she was terrified her.
Her only port in the storm was Allen.
He was looking at her, at the disposable phone he’d given her after she’d threatened to walk off to call Nikkie Jean shortly after she’d forced him to let her shower off in the wet bath. He hadn’t even bothered to argue; just handed her a phone he’d already activated, then stood over her, with those muscled arms crossed over his chest while she dialed. Talked.
She stared at him while she spoke.
He’d purchased four disposable phones at a gas station while she slept in the passenger seat the night before, apparently. He’d grabbed phones, gassed up the van, procured them drinks and breakfast and toilet paper, of all things. While she’d been sound asleep and vulnerable in a damned parking lot. Then he’d moved them to another parking lot three hours away.
He told her to take a pain pill and sleep. To trust him to handle anything else that came.
The man was currently more in control of her life than she was.
She hadn’t been in true control of her life since nine days after the tornado.
Well, that wasn’t going to happen any longer. Because it would be inevitable—eventually she’d be on her own again. Trying to deal with the world on her own. Allen had a life he’d want to get back to as soon as he possibly could.
They both did. Allen had no reason to stick around for her. Maybe he was for now because he seemed to adore Nikkie Jean, but that was weak.
She was discounting the kiss he’d given her before she’d slept. It had been his way